Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved composition for use in water conditioning systems that increases the efficiency of the system.
Description of the Prior Art
While potable water is safe to drink and useful for any number of household and commercial applications, it's likely to contain a number of dissolved substances. The levels of two of these dissolved substances, Ca2+ and to a lesser degree Mg2+, contribute to what is known as water hardness. Hard water is defined as having 7 to 10.5 grains per gallon of CaCO3, or 120 to 180 ppm calcium hardness (also expressed as CaCO3).
Although hard water is not toxic, it causes problems in household and industrial fixtures such as hot water heaters, plumbing, boilers, and heat exchangers. This is due to the low solubility of calcium and magnesium carbonates, and their tendency to precipitate onto surfaces and form scale. Over time, scale buildup can restrict flow in pipes and plumbing, and damage or reduce the efficiency of equipment such as hot water heaters. To compensate for the undesirable effects of hard water, water softening devices are routinely used to remove Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions from water via a process known as ion exchange. The softening process is beneficial and desirable since it helps protect equipment from the damaging effects of scale accumulation. Hard water can cause a variety of problems related to cleaning and appliance use, and can also clog showerheads.
Water softeners work by passing hard water through a material known as a cation exchange resin. The resin has copious negatively-charged (anionic) functional groups that bind to positively-charged substances (cations), such as calcium and magnesium ions. Over time, the resin becomes saturated with cations and loses its capacity to remove additional Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions from the source water. Therefore, the resin has to be regenerated by flooding the water conditioner with another cation (typically Na+ or K+), which exchanges with the trapped Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions.
The water softening industry has addressed the impact of unwanted ions (i.e., sodium and chloride) discharged into the environment by promoting use of ‘high efficiency’ water softeners. Unlike traditional water softeners, high efficiency units incorporate technologies that can allow them to meter the appropriate amount of salt that a particular household actually needs. Therefore, the salt is used more efficiently since the minimum amount of salt is used to regenerate only the expended resin. However, a drawback of high efficiency softeners is that they can cost several hundred dollars more than traditional units. As a result, they may be cost prohibitive to a large number of households.
The present invention is advantageous since it captures the environmental benefits derived by increased efficiency (reduction in sodium and chloride discharge) without requiring the homeowner to purchase expensive equipment. That is, increased efficiency is achieved with convention water softening equipment.